[Bartimaeus sounds unspeakably weary.]

Are you really going to try to resort to violence when all I asked you for was a simple 'please'? Manners cost you nothing, you know.

[He's not too worried about the threat - this Jack is only one person, or, erm, thing, and Bartimaeus has survived fighting whole armies.

Frequently with help.

Often, when that help was not available, by running and hiding in the nearest tomb.

But he was still a veteran of many battles, who had faced worse than this stripling, whoever he was. He was nearly positive.]